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Eastern Kentucky is dominated by the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, making the region a forested, rugged place blessed with the sort of scenery most hikers and campers love. As a bonus, Eastern Kentucky's national forests and parks abound with opportunities to camp free of charge, although doing so often involves braving the challenges of the backcountry.

Locations

The main destinations for free tent camping in Eastern Kentucky are Cumberland Gap National Historical Park and Daniel Boone National Forest. The national forest encloses a vast area of more than 3,280 square miles and dominates the eastern third of the state, so free campgrounds in the forest are spread through the region. Cumberland Gap park is confined to the southeastern corner of Kentucky and crosses the state borders into Tennessee and Virginia.

Backcountry Camping

Both the national forest and national park offer free backcountry camping, although Daniel Boone National Forest calls this format "dispersed camping." Backcountry hiking always entails hiking into the camping area and setting up camp in a primitive area without facilities, with the possible exception of a fire ring. At Cumberland Gap, campsites are designated. In Daniel Boone National Forest some areas open to backcountry camping have no designated campsites, such as Beaver Creek and Clifty Wilderness, and campers are free to pitch their tents anywhere that does not violate the forest's regulations.

Drive-in Campgrounds

Daniel Boone National Forest also has some free drive-in campgrounds, although the facilities available at these campgrounds varies. Great Meadows is the most developed of the free drive-in campgrounds; it has running water and vault toilets. Bell Farm, Little Lick, S-Tree and Turkey Foot campgrounds have vault toilets and either picnic tables or picnic shelters but no source of potable water. Little Lick and Bell Farm are also open to horses.

Regulations

Kentucky law prohibits the consumption of alcohol in public places, which effectively bars campers from drinking in the national parks and forests. Also, it is against the law to camp or build a campfire inside a natural rock shelter in the Red River Gorge. Backcountry campers are required to adhere to Leave No Trace standards, so all trash must be packed out, and campers are not allowed to "improve" the landscape at their campsite by doing things like building fire reflectors from rocks. Dispersed campers in Daniel Boone National Forest are also required to set up camp at a distance from roads, trails, parking lots, water sources and certain specified geological formations. The distance varies with the camping area, but it is usually at least 100 yards.